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At least 127 records · Page 7

Agricultural applications for thermal infrared multispectral scanner data

The use of the Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanner (TIMS) data in agricultural landscapes is discussed. The TIMS allows for narrow-band analysis in the 8.2-11.6 micron range at spatial resolutions down to 5 meters in cell size. A coastal plain region in SE Alabama was studied using the TIMS. The crop/plant vigor, canopy density, and thermal response changes for soils obtained from thermal imagery are examined. The application of TIMS data to hydrologic and topographic issues, inventory and conservation monitoring, and the enhancement and extraction of cartographic features is described.

Pelletier, R. E.

Thermal imaging spectroscopy in the Kelso-Baker Region, California

The ability of the Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanner (TIMS) data to identify rock composition using thermal-infrared spectroscopy was assessed. A region was selected with a wide range of rock and soil types in an arid environment, and the spectra acquired by TIMS was compared to laboratory spectra of collected samples. A TIMS image was acquired of the Kelso-Baker region in the Mojave desert of California at a surface resolution of approximately 7 m. This image was then used to map the areal extent of each geologic component. The TIMS data provided an excellent means for discriminating and mapping rocks of very similar mineralogy. These findings suggest that thermal-infrared spectroscopy can provide a powerful tool for identifying and mapping rock composition on the Earth and other terrestrial planets.

Christensen, Philip R.

Calculation of day and night emittance values

In July 1983, the Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanner (TIMS) was flown over Death Valley, California on both a midday and predawn flight within a two-day period. The availability of calibrated digital data permitted the calculation of day and night surface temperature and surface spectral emittance. Image processing of the data included panorama correction and calibration to radiance using the on-board black bodies and the measured spectral response of each channel. Scene-dependent isolated-point noise due to bit drops, was located by its relatively discontinuous values and replaced by the average of the surrounding data values. A method was developed in order to separate the spectral and temperature information contained in the TIMS data. Night and day data sets were processed. The TIMS is unique in allowing collection of both spectral emittance and thermal information in digital format with the same airborne scanner. For the first time it was possible to produce day and night emittance images of the same area, coregistered. These data add to an understanding of the physical basis for the discrimination of difference in surface materials afforded by TIMS.

Kahle, Anne B.

Affordable In-Space Transportation: An Advanced Concepts Project - Phase 2

The Affordable In-Space Transportation (AIST) program was established by the NASA Office of Space Access to improve transportation and lower the costs from Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) and beyond (to Lunar orbit, Mars orbit, inner solar system missions, and return to LEO). A goal was established to identify and develop radically innovative concepts for new upper stages for Reusable Launch Vehicles (RLV) and Highly Reusable Space Transportation (HRST) systems. New architectures and technologies are being identified which have the potential to meet a cost goal of $1,000 to $2,000 per pound for transportation to GEO and beyond for overall mission cost (including the cost to LEO). A Technical Interchange Meeting (ITM) was held on October 16 and 17, 1996 in Huntsville, Alabama to review previous studies, present advanced concepts and review technologies that could be used to meet the stated goals. The TIM was managed by NASA-Mar-shaU Space Flight Center (MSFC) Advanced Concepts Office with Mr. Alan Adams providing TIM coordination. Mr. John C. Manidns of NASA Headquarters provided overall sponsorship. The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) Propulsion Research Center hosted the TM at the UAH Research Center. Dr. Clark Hawk, Center Director, was the principal investigator. Technical support was provided by Christensen Associates. Approximately 70 attendees were present at the meeting. This Executive Summary provides a record of the key discussions and results of the TIM in a summary format. It incorporates the response to the following basic issues of the TPA, which addressed the following questions: 1. What are the cost drivers and how can they be reduced? 2. What are the operational issues and their impact on cost? What is the current Technology Readiness Level (TRL) and what will it take to reach TRL 6? 4. What are the key enabling technologies and sequence for their accomplishment? 5. What is the proposed implementation time frame? See Appendix A for the TIM Agenda and Appendix C for the AIST Program Terms of Reference.

Source record

Analysis of Vegetation Within A Semi-Arid Urban Environment Using High Spatial Resolution Airborne Thermal Infrared Remote Sensing Data

High spatial resolution (5 m) remote sensing data obtained using the airborne Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanner (TIMS) sensor for daytime and nighttime have been used to measure thermal energy responses for 2 broad classes and 10 subclasses of vegetation typical of the Salt Lake City, Utah urban landscape. Polygons representing discrete areas corresponding to the 10 subclasses of vegetation types have been delineated from the remote sensing data and are used for analysis of upwelling thermal energy for day, night, and the change in response between day and night or flux, as measured by the TIMS. These data have been used to produce three-dimensional graphs of energy responses in W/ sq m for day, night, and flux, for each urban vegetation land cover as measured by each of the six channels of the TIMS sensor. Analysis of these graphs provides a unique perspective for both viewing and understanding thermal responses, as recorded by the TIMS, for selected vegetation types common to Salt Lake City. A descriptive interpretation is given for each of the day, night, and flux graphs along with an analysis of what the patterns mean in reference to the thermal properties of the vegetation types surveyed in this study. From analyses of these graphs, it is apparent that thermal responses for vegetation can be highly varied as a function of the biophysical properties of the vegetation itself, as well as other factors. Moreover, it is also seen where vegetation, particularly trees, has a significant influence on damping or mitigating the amount of thermal radiation upwelling into the atmosphere across the Salt Lake City urban landscape. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.

Quattrochi, Dale A.

System Study: Technology Assessment and Prioritizing

The objective of this NASA funded project is to assess and prioritize advanced technologies required to achieve the goals for an "Intelligent Propulsion System" through collaboration among GEAE, NASA, and Georgia Tech. Key GEAE deliverables are parametric response surface equations (RSE's) relating technology features to system benefits (sfc, weight, fuel burn, design range, acoustics, emission, etc...) and listings of Technology Impact Matrix (TIM) with benefits, debits, and approximate readiness status. TIM has been completed for GEAE and NASA proposed technologies. The combined GEAE and NASA TIM input requirement is shown in Table.1. In the course of building the RSE's and TIM, significant parametric technology modeling and RSE accuracy improvements were accomplished. GEAE has also done preliminary ranking of the technologies using Georgia Tech/GEAE USA developed technology evaluation tools. System level impact was performed by combining beneficial technologies with minimum conflict among various system figures of merits to assess their overall benefits to the system. The shortfalls and issues with modeling the proposed technologies are identified, and recommendations for future work are also proposed.

Source record

Estimating Thruster Impulses From IMU and Doppler Data

A computer program implements a thrust impulse measurement (TIM) filter, which processes data on changes in velocity and attitude of a spacecraft to estimate the small impulsive forces and torques exerted by the thrusters of the spacecraft reaction control system (RCS). The velocity-change data are obtained from line-of-sight-velocity data from Doppler measurements made from the Earth. The attitude-change data are the telemetered from an inertial measurement unit (IMU) aboard the spacecraft. The TIM filter estimates the threeaxis thrust vector for each RCS thruster, thereby enabling reduction of cumulative navigation error attributable to inaccurate prediction of thrust vectors. The filter has been augmented with a simple mathematical model to compensate for large temperature fluctuations in the spacecraft thruster catalyst bed in order to estimate thrust more accurately at deadbanding cold-firing levels. Also, rigorous consider-covariance estimation is applied in the TIM to account for the expected uncertainty in the moment of inertia and the location of the center of gravity of the spacecraft. The TIM filter was built with, and depends upon, a sigma-point consider-filter algorithm implemented in a Python-language computer program.

Lisano, Michael E.

Proceedings of the NASA Technical Interchange Meeting on Active Optical Systems for Supporting Science, Exploration, and Aeronautics Measurements Needs

Active optical (Laser/Lidar) measurement techniques are critical for the future National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Earth, Planetary Science, Exploration, and Aeronautics measurements. The latest science decadal surveys recommend a number of missions requiring active optical systems to meet the science measurement objectives and the aeronautics community continues to use Laser/Lidar technologies to meet the aeronautics measurement objectives. With these drivers, the NASA Agency Program Management Council (APMC), chaired by the NASA Associate Administrator, has tasked the NASA Sensors and Instrumentation (S&I) Capability Leadership Team (CLT) Leader to determine if the Agency has the necessary expertise and capabilities to execute successfully the active optical-based systems necessary to make the required measurements for Science, Exploration, and Aeronautics. This NASA Technical Interchange Meeting (TIM) was a forum to exchange perspectives on the current state of the discipline’s technologies and the direction NASA needs to take in the future to raise the Technical Readiness Level (TRL) of the measurement technologies to meet these measurement needs in the applications domains. The information developed at this TIM was used in formulating the Agency-level strategy and solutions for advancing high-risk Laser/Lidar technologies that are not currently being sufficiently planned, developed, or risk-reduced to meet NASA’s mission requirements. Given the crosscutting synergies in critical Active Optical measurements for NASA Science, Exploration, and Aeronautics, a strategic approach is needed to identify areas where NASA should “lead, leverage or collaborate” with existing national and international industries to meet its future needs. The TIM aimed at focusing NASA’s directions to attain the necessary TRLs to meet the Agency-level priority Active Optical measurements in Space and Aeronautics. The TIM presentations and strategic inputs were synthesized by the NASA Active Optical Tiger Team for presentation to the NASA APMC with a suggested strategy to address the Agency’s needs in a crosscutting, synergistic and cost-effective manner.

Singh, Upendra N

Outcomes of a NASA Human Research Program’s (HRP) Space Radiation Element-sponsored Mini-Technical Interchange Meeting/workshop on Cardiovascular Disease Risk from Space Radiation

The NASA HRP’s Space Radiation Element funds research to characterize and mitigate adverse health outcomes from space radiation including cardiovascular risks to astronauts to enable deep space exploration and sustained human presence in space. Non-cancer effects such as damage to the cardiovascular system have been observed at clinically relevant high doses of ionizing radiation. However, an association between lower doses and risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains somewhat controversial, especially in relation to the existence of low dose thresholds, radiation quality, and dose-rate effects, as well as gaps in characterizing the mechanisms and major pathways of disease. To facilitate, accelerate, and incubate new ideas to characterize and mitigate this risk, the Element is planning to organize a series of miniature technical interchange meetings (Tiny-TIMs) to provide a venue for HRP-funded investigators and thought leaders to present ongoing work and engage in open discussion on presented results, limitations of current approaches, incorporating better experimental strategies, model systems, etc. The initial Tiny-TIM held during the NASA HRP Investigators’ Workshop earlier this year – Upping the ante on characterizing and mitigating cardiovascular disease risk from space radiation exposure – aimed to stimulate discussion on the current state of scientific knowledge of CVD risk from space-like radiation exposure. The Tiny-TIM consisted of two 90-minute sessions; the first session concentrated on current knowledge of CVD risk from space radiation and the second session focused on innovative ideas, newer approaches, and techniques to accelerate research. The second session was followed by an open spirited discussion amongst peers on the current issues impeding the characterization of CVD risk from space radiation. The Element facilitated the discussion using a set of pressing open questions/gaps in knowledge that need to be addressed by the scientific community. The outcomes of the Tiny-TIM will be presented along with a plan of proposed future workshops and other initiatives of the Space Radiation Element.

Janapriya Saha

Enhancement of Uranium Ionization Efficiencies Using Zn-MOF-74 Derived Nanoporous Ion Emitters for Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry

The recent introduction of nano-porous ion emitters (nano-PIEs) formed from metal organic frameworks (MOFs) has demonstrated the potential to enhance sensitivity for thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS). Nano-PIEs take advantage of the parent MOF’s chemical and structural tunability to form scaffolds for ion emitters. A study by Barpaga et al. 2023 on MOF-74 as the parent material found that with high volatility metals in their framework uranium sample utilization efficiency (SUE) increases by up to nine-fold (e.g., Zn-MOF-74) compared to that of the analyte on a bare filament (~0.05%). Here, in this study, we investigate the performance of Zn-MOF-74 to maximize uranium efficiencies at the trace level (= 10 -12 g) by altering the parent MOF morphology and chemistry (i.e., MOF crystal sizes and thermal degradation) and optimizing its integration with TIMS (i.e., MOF mass on a filament and ramp conditions). We observed improvement in SUE up to 20 times (≤1.0%) that of a bare filament load when nano-PIEs derived from nanocrystals of Zn-MOF-74 were heated under a specific current ramp condition. This demonstrates that rates of nano-PIE structural collapse during TIMS analysis and the subsequently formed nanomaterials (and their features) can be tuned to control analyte ionization.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH

Mineralogic information from a new airborne thermal infrared multispectral scanner

The thermal IR multispectral scanner (TIMS) has been developed for airborne geologic surveys. The resststrahlen band between 8-11 microns is exhibited by interatomic stretching vibrations of Si and oxygen bound up in the crystal lattice of silicate rocks. The crystal structure of the component minerals influence the depth and position of the detected band. The TIMS has six channels, an 80 deg field of view, and a sensitivity sufficient to detect a noise equivalent change in spectral emissivity of 0.002-0.006. The six bands measured are 8.2-8.6, 8.6-9.0, 9.4-10.2, 10.2-11.2, and 11.2-12.2 microns, using HgCdTe detectors. The data are analyzed with respect to emissivity variations as a function of wavelength, using the component transformation technique called a decorrelation stretch, with spectral differences being displayed as different colors. Sample scenes from Death Valley and the Nevada Cuprite mining district are compared with visible and near-IR color composites of the same areas, revealing the superior distinctions that are available with the TIMS.

Kahle, A. B.

Estimation of absolute water surface temperature based on atmospherically corrected thermal infrared multispectral scanner digital data

Airborne remote sensing systems, as well as those on board Earth orbiting satellites, sample electromagnetic energy in discrete wavelength regions and convert the total energy sampled into data suitable for processing by digital computers. In general, however, the total amount of energy reaching a sensor system located at some distance from the target is composed not only of target related energy, but, in addition, contains a contribution originating from the atmosphere itself. Thus, some method must be devised for removing or at least minimizing the effects of the atmosphere. The LOWTRAN-6 Program was designed to estimate atmospheric transmittance and radiance for a given atmospheric path at moderate spectral resolution over an operational wavelength region from 0.25 to 28.5 microns. In order to compute the Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanner (TIMS) digital values which were recorded in the absence of the atmosphere, the parameters derived from LOWTRAN-6 are used in a correction equation. The TIMS data were collected at 1:00 a.m. local time on November 21, 1983, over a recirculating cooling pond for a power plant in southeastern Mississippi. The TIMS data were analyzed before and after atmospheric corrections were applied using a band ratioing model to compute the absolute surface temperature of various points on the power plant cooling pond. The summarized results clearly demonstrate the desirability of applying atmospheric corrections.

Anderson, James E.

Multisensor classification of sedimentary rocks

A comparison is made between linear discriminant analysis and supervised classification results based on signatures from the Landsat TM, the Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanner (TIMS), and airborne SAR, alone and combined into extended spectral signatures for seven sedimentary rock units exposed on the margin of the Wind River Basin, Wyoming. Results from a linear discriminant analysis showed that training-area classification accuracies based on the multisensor data were improved an average of 15 percent over TM alone, 24 percent over TIMS alone, and 46 percent over SAR alone, with similar improvement resulting when supervised multisensor classification maps were compared to supervised, individual sensor classification maps. When training area signatures were used to map spectrally similar materials in an adjacent area, the average classification accuracy improved 19 percent using the multisensor data over TM alone, 2 percent over TIMS alone, and 11 percent over SAR alone. It is concluded that certain sedimentary lithologies may be accurately mapped using a single sensor, but classification of a variety of rock types can be improved using multisensor data sets that are sensitive to different characteristics such as mineralogy and surface roughness.

Evans, Diane

Measurements of short-term thermal responses of coniferous forest canopies using thermal scanner data

Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanner (TIMS) data were collected over a coniferous forest in western Oregon. Concurrent radiosonde measurements of atmospheric profiles of air temperature and moisture provided inputs to LOWTRAN6 for atmospheric radiance corrections of the TIMS data. Surface temperature differences measured by the TIMS over time between flight lines were combined with surface radiative energy balance estimates to develop thermal response numbers (TRN). These numbers characterized the thermal response of the diffent surface types. Barren surfaces had the lowest TRN, whereas the forested surfaces had the highest.

Luvall, J. C.

Remote detection of canopy water stress in coniferous forests using the NS001 Thematic Mapper Simulator and the thermal infrared multispectral scanner

Water stress was induced in two coniferous forest stands in West Germany by severing tree sapwood. Leaf water potential, Psi(L), measurements indicated that maximum, naturally occurring levels of water stress developed in the stressed plots while control plots exhibited natural diurnal trends. Images of each site were obtained with the Thematic Mapper Simulator (NS001) and the Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanner (TIMS) 12 to 15 days after stress induction. NS001 bands 2 to 6, NS001 indices combining bands 4 and 6, and NS001 and TIMS thermal bands showed significant radiance differences between stressed and control plots when large differences in Psi(L) and relative water content (RWC) existed during the morning overflights at Munich. However, the NS001 and TIMS sensors could not detect the slightly smaller differences in Psi(L) and RWC during the Munich afternoon and Frankfurt overflights. The results suggest that routine detection of canopy water stress under operational conditions is difficult utilizing current sensor technology.

Pierce, Lars L.

A comparison of techniques for extracting emissivity information from thermal infrared data for geologic studies

This article evaluates three techniques developed to extract emissivity information from multispectral thermal infrared data. The techniques are the assumed Channel 6 emittance model, thermal log residuals, and alpha residuals. These techniques were applied to calibrated, atmospherically corrected thermal infrared multispectral scanner (TIMS) data acquired over Cuprite, Nevada in September 1990. Results indicate that the two new techniques (thermal log residuals and alpha residuals) provide two distinct advantages over the assumed Channel 6 emittance model. First, they permit emissivity information to be derived from all six TIMS channels. The assumed Channel 6 emittance model only permits emissivity values to be derived from five of the six TIMS channels. Second, both techniques are less susceptible to noise than the assumed Channel 6 emittance model. The disadvantage of both techniques is that laboratory data must be converted to thermal log residuals or alpha residuals to facilitate comparison with similarly processed image data. An additional advantage of the alpha residual technique is that the processed data are scene-independent unlike those obtained with the other techniques.

Hook, Simon J.

Telescope image modelling software in STSDAS

The Telescope Image Modelling (TIM) system creates model point spread functions for optical systems based on ray-trace information. The original TIM runs only on VAX/VMS systems, but we are modifying the software to run under IRAF in the STSDAS package in order to make TIM more widely available. The current status of this project will be discussed. Initially the changes will be restricted to the user interface and replacing VAX-specific code. Soon thereafter the IMSL and NAG subroutines will be replaced by public-domain software, and some of the algorithms may be improved.

Hodge, P. E.

Mapping the distribution of vesicular textures on silicic lavas using the Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanner

To investigate the effect of vesicularity on TIMS (Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanner) imagery independent of chemical variations, we studied a large rhyolitic flow of uniform composition but textural heterogeneity. The imagery was recalibrated so that the digital number values for a lake in the scene matched a calculated ideal spectrum for water. TIMS spectra for the lava show useful differences in coarsely and finely vesicular pumice data, particularly in TIMS bands 3 and 4. Images generated by ratioing these bands accurately map out those areas known from field studies to be coarsely vesicular pumice. These texture-related emissivity variations are probably due to the larger vesicles being relatively deeper and separated by smaller septa leaving less smooth glass available to give the characteristic emission of the lava. In studies of inaccessible lava flows (as on Mars) areas of coarsely vesicular pumice must be identified and avoided before chemical variations can be interpreted. Remotely determined distributions of vesicular and glassy textures can also be related to the volatile contents and potential hazards associated with the emplacement of silicic lava flows on Earth.

Ondrusek, Jaime